Addictions

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), substance abuse costs the United States over $484 billion per year. This figure includes health care expenses, lost earnings, and costs associated with crime and accidents. Each year, about 40 million Americans suffer from illnesses or injuries as a result of their use of tobacco, alcohol, or another addictive drug. In 2003, an estimated 8.2% of the American population aged 12 or older were using an illicit drug. Many people do not realize that in the 1970's, psychiatrist Michael Smith, MD, started using acupuncture on his opiate-addicted patients in the Lincoln Hospital of the South Bronx, New York. In 1985, he co-founded the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA). Dr. Smith's acupuncture prescription for his patients became known as the "NADA protocol." The protocol consists of 5 tiny needles inserted in the outer surface of both ears, and the needles are retained for 30-45 minutes. These points are effective at calming the patient because the ear is a microsystem for the entire body - so the entire body may be mapped out onto the ear! Unlike most acupuncture treatments performed in the U.S., the NADA protocol may be delivered in a group setting, with patients seated in chairs, to facilitate the feeling of support and to overcome feelings of isolation. Several studies have echoed the success of Dr. Smith's work in New York. In 1989, the University of Minnesota Medical School performed a placebo-controlled study on acupuncture and alcoholism. The results showed that the patients who received the true NADA protocol were more likely to complete the program, less likely to express a need for alcohol, and had half the number of both drinking episodes and admissions to a detoxification center. These results were consistent at the end of the 6-month follow-up. The Archives of Internal Medicine published a study in 2000 with similar results for patients with cocaine dependence. Some more recent studies have shown conflicting results, but these were due primarily to the use of the NADA protocol performed in isolation. The NADA protocol for addictions is meant to be used as an adjunctive treatment: it is not a replacement for conventional treatment and counseling. Chinese medicine, which consists of primarily acupuncture and herbal medicine, can treat many forms of addiction due to its stimulating the brain to release endorphins, and this calms cravings and reduces withdrawal symptoms. In this way, many conditions may be treated using the NADA protocol, such as drug and alcohol addiction, smoking, overeating, and nervous habits such as nail-biting and bruxism (teeth-grinding). ¹http://www.drugabuse.gov/about/welcome/aboutdrugabuse/magnitude/ ²http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/nadaprotocol.html ³ Lancet. 1989 Jun 24;1(8652):1435-9. 4 Arch Intern Med. 2000; 160:2305-2312.